Apple TV Software Update 6.0 Brings iCloud Airplay And iTunes Radio

Over the past few weeks it has been consistently rumored that Apple is going to make a TV related announcement in the coming months. At first it was said that perhaps a new Apple TV might be unveiled alongside the new iPhones on September 10th. That didn’t happen, then it was said that the company will release a new software update for the existing set-top box on September 18th, alongside iOS 7. Well, Apple has indeed released Apple TV software update 6.0, a few days after it was rumored to go live. It also brings the features it was expected to.

First up is iCloud AirPlay. The feature lets users stream content that they own, such as TV shows, movies and music, on an Apple TV that isn’t configured with their Apple ID. What this means is that a user can stream a movie to a friend’s Apple TV, without having to first enter their iTunes credentials in the set-top box. A connected iOS device, which is configured with that Apple ID, will be required to provide the wireless authentication required for content streaming. iTunes Radio, Apple’s new music streaming service, also comes to the Apple TV via this update. Last but not the least, Apple TV software update 6.0 enables users to access purchases from iTunes Music Store and photos from a shared Photo Stream as well as sync their podcasts.